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This invention generally relates to improvements in computer systems and more particularly to a system for routing data between multimedia components.
Multimedia is perhaps the fastest growing application for computer systems. Increasingly, users are employing computers to present graphic, sound and imaging information to end users. Users are increasingly demanding ergonomic interfaces for managing multimedia presentations. In the past, a time matrix and programming language were used to implement a multimedia presentation. However, simulating a flexible mixing board to enable the presentation of music or sound with the display of information as a multimedia presentation unfolded was not possible.
Examples of current multimedia systems that do not have the capability of the subject invention are Apple""s Quicktime and Microsoft""s Video for Windows as described in the March issue of NEWMEDIA, xe2x80x9cIt""s Showtimexe2x80x9d, pp. 36-42 (1993). The importance of obtaining a solution to the routing problem encountered in the prior art is discussed in the March issue of IEEE Spectrum, xe2x80x9cInteractive Multimediaxe2x80x9d, pp. 22-31 (1993); and xe2x80x9cThe Technology Frameworkxe2x80x9d, IEEE Spectrum, pp. 32-39 (1993). The articles point out the importance of an aesthetic interface for controlling multimedia productions.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a system and method for routing multimedia data throughout the course of a multimedia presentation using a computer with a storage and a display. A multimedia data routing system is defined in the storage and displayed as a multimedia object. The routing can then be directly manipulated via a mouse or other pointing device to associate multimedia information with one or more multimedia objects. A variety of multimedia objects are defined in the storage and joined in logical relationships to enable multimedia presentations. A display is used to create the presentations interactively by positioning objects representative of the multimedia events and joining them with geometric figures, such as line segments. Each object can then be directly manipulated via a mouse or other pointing device to position a multimedia object to a particular position, or adjust the playback rate of a multimedia object.